PROCAT has made considerable investment in technology for its apprenticeships. As well as making effective use of augmented and virtual reality it has 3-D printers in its CAD lab. This allows apprentices to create something unique and see the product they have designed. There are even facilities for 3-D printing in metal. 3-D printing allows apprentices to check their calculations and making mistakes is not a costly issue compared to trial and error on many industrial machines.

Apprentices and staff from PROCAT talk about how the college’s digital approach has benefited them in ways as varied as the convenience of online assignment submission to being able to undertake virtual aircraft maintenance without putting learners at risk in this short video.